Buying Tips for High-End Furniture

Often, homeowners have mixed feelings on where to put their hard-earned dollars when buying high-end furniture. What delivers the biggest bang for the buck? Where does the greatest satisfaction come from with regard to interior design? Part of the challenge is knowing how to make the best use of your budget. Here are some guidelines:

First, partner with a retail store that has deep ties to the local interior design community, with either interior designers on staff or affiliations with the local chapters of the ASID and IDS. Often times these consultations can be made in a client's home. Working with an accredited design team is invaluable as designers know the myriad choices that aren't necessarily showcased in the showroom but are available for special order.

Designers listen closely to understand the customer's lifestyle and how he or she will use the furniture. Is the client looking for a piece of furniture she would like to someday hand down to grandchildren? Or does she plan to live with it while her children are young with the intent of replacing it sometime over the next 10 years? The design consultant edits through this info and guides the client in options to best suit the lifestyle. The result? Saving both time and money.

Next, pay attention to designer recommendations on how your budget can be stretched further. As an example, suppose you found a fabric that you really like, but it's quite expensive. A designer will help select a correlating fabric that is more moderately priced and place the more expensive fabric on throw pillows or an accent chair. You're happy; your budget stays intact.

Another way to optimize a budget is to use your favorite, higher-priced "statement piece" in the more public space - rooms where your family spends the most time or where you entertain - and balance the budget by selecting a less expensive piece for a room that is used less frequently.

Boyles Distinctive Furniture has three showrooms in Charlotte: 11410 Carolina Place Parkway, 704-542-4770 and 7215 Smith Corners Boulevard, 704-596-9093, and a clearance outlet at 10025 E. Independence Boulevard, 704-846-8470. For more information, visit www.boyles.com. Finally, if you'd like to hear more about making confident decisions when shopping for furniture, why not learn from the best? Bill Henkel of the renowned company Henkel Harris, is speaking in our Pineville showroom Sunday, Feb. 10, at 1:30 p.m. Call for more details.

What's Hot for 2008?

* Exotic materials such as bamboo and exotic leathers

* The use of natural stone in furniture such as travertine and imported marbles

* Hand-forged iron

* Exotic woods such as rosewood, ebony and satinwood

* Luxurious fabrics such as linen velvet, chenille and silk